Newly Discovered Frog Species Already In Danger Of Extinction

Researchers of a new study discovered a new frog species they named after the first printer in Zurich. Although the species has just been discovered, the researchers recommended it be classified as critically endangered.

An international team of scientists from various institutions discovered the the new frog species in the forests of Madagascar. The Stumpffia froschaueri is being described as a "miniaturized" stump-toed frog from the Stumpffia genus, and is only known from a few specimens that were collected in forest patches in the Sahamalaza region.

Its name, froschaueri, comes from Christoph Froschauer, the first printer in Zurich who is widely known for printing the Zurich Bible and Historia Animalium. The family name Froschauer means "the man from a floodplain full of frogs." In fact, Froschauer was known to sign his books with an image of frogs under a tree in a landscape.

According to the researchers, the discovery of the S. froschaueri showed the description of the herpetofauna in Madagascar is far from complete, especially since only a few surveys of Sahamalaza have been conducted.

Unfortunately, this region is also widely threatened by drought, fire and forest clearance. In fact, even if two out of the three forest areas in which the S. froschaueri can be found is already considered a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the researchers noted these areas still lack border patrol and remained threatened by destructive activities such as timber harvesting that may lead to habitat loss.

As such, the researchers are recommending the classification of the S. froschaueri as a critically endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. Being classified as critically endangered meant the species has a high risk of extinction in the wild.

"In Madagascar, more than 45% of currently described amphibian species (365 taxa) are considered under severe threat of extinction," the researchers wrote, also emphasizing the importance of conducting field surveys in the area. "This description confirms the Sahamalaza Peninsula as an important hotspot of amphibian diversity, with several threatened species relying almost entirely on the persistence of these residual forest fragments."

The study is published in the journal Zookeys.